1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical module mainly used in the optical communication, and a manufacturing method of an optical module, and a communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in the public communications, computer networks, and the like, there are prevailing such optical communication systems that utilize broad band optical communication, and in addition have the functions of wavelength multiplexing transmission and two-way transmission, for the purpose of speeding up and function upgrading.
In the field of optical communication, in order to perform high-level optical signal processing, research works are being performed eagerly for developing optical integrated circuits having various functions. An optical integrated circuit has an optical waveguide as its main component. An optical waveguide is a device in which a core region having a high refractive index is covered with a clad layer having a relatively lower refractive index, thereby confining the light in the core region to be transmitted. A variety of functions of an optical waveguide are provided by arranging variously patterned cores. In particular, optical waveguides based on quartz have a number of merits such as low loss, physical and chemical stabilities, matching with optical fibers, and the like, which makes quartz optical waveguides the representative ones.
Technologies in which an active optical element is mounted on an optical waveguide, there by miniaturizing, providing with multifunction, and bringing down costs, are regarded as promising, and accordingly are investigated at full blast. In these modules, for the purpose of integration, optical semiconductor devices such as a semiconductor laser, a photodiode, and the like are mounted, on an optical waveguide platform in which a quartz-based optical waveguide is formed on a silicon substrate.